Playing Persimmon: Tips for Getting Started

So you’ve bought your first set of Classic Era clubs.  Now the real fun begins.  Here are some tips and answers to questions you may have about playing with persimmon woods.

The first question people inevitably ask is, “What ball should I use?”  You don’t need to hunt for balata balls on eBay, but that’s a fantastic way to experience persimmon if you choose to.  We recommend using a lower compression modern ball when beginning your journey.  A lower compression ball feels significantly better and, let’s be honest, that’s a big reason to play persimmon in the first place.  It’s possible you are already playing an acceptable ball on the list below and if you are, we definitely recommend sticking with the ball you know.  As of now (January 2020), these are some modern golf balls we typically recommend starting with, but this is not necessarily an exhaustive list:

  • Wilson Duo Line (Duo Soft, Duo Soft+, Duo Soft Spin, Duo Professional)

  • Callaway Chrome Soft (NOT Chrome Soft X)

  • Callaway ERC Soft

  • Bridgestone Tour B RX and RXS

  • Srixon Q Star Tour

 

The next question people ask is “What tee box should I play from?” As a general rule of thumb, I tell people to pull up the scorecard at their home course, find the yardage of the tee box they normally play from, and multiply that number by 0.95, or 95%.  So, for example, if you play from 7,000 yards normally, find a tee box on the card that’s closest to 6,650 yards.  Play your first round from there and adjust to taste afterwards. If you have wedges into every hole, maybe move back a tee box next time.  Of course, I would recommend the opposite if you have 4-iron into every green as well.  The condition of your course (firm vs. soft) will have a massive impact here.

Another obvious question is “What should I expect on the course?”  The majority of this is best discovered on the course itself and not by reading something on the internet.  However, here are a few things to get you started.  First off, swing smooth.  With persimmon woods, a premium is placed on contact, and you are much less likely to find the center of the face if you’re swinging for the fences every time.  Look to the rhythmic swing of Sam Snead for guidance with persimmon, not the Herculean power of Brooks Koepka.  

As for what to expect when you inevitably miss (we all do), you may be surprised to learn that your misses won’t be as far offline (left-to-right) as you’d expect.  The center of gravity location of persimmon woods combined with the bulge and roll of the face will have a pronounced gear effect on the ball, which will bring your misses closer to your target line.  However, that is essentially done by the addition of spin to the golf ball, which means your misses won’t carry as far as you’re used to.  Basically, your misses with 460cc titanium drivers are long and in the trees, whereas your misses with persimmon woods are shorter and in the first cut of rough.  Tying into this, firm and fast course conditions that allow the ball to roll out really bring the persimmon game to life.  If you have a course nearby known for these conditions, you would do well to seek it out. 

The last thing a beginner will surely ask is, “How far should I expect to hit this thing?”  As indicated above, this will vary significantly with course conditions and quality of contact.  Consider, though, that most persimmon drivers are around 43” to 43.5” in length, which is about the same as a modern fairway wood.  Many modern drivers are north of 45”.  As a rule of thumb for someone just getting started, I would suggest you calibrate yourself to generate roughly the same clubhead speed as you do with your modern 3 wood, expect a total distance more or less in the same range, and lastly to not worry about it all that much.  As previously stated, this is not a power game akin to what you’ve grown accustomed to.  The use of Classic Era clubs will provide you with a fantastic new way to experience this game we all love.  You’ll find yourself playing shots you’ve never played before and seeing the golf course in exciting new ways.  We hope we’ve helped you land some fun clubs that inspire you to take them to the course and see for yourself how much fun this can be.